Hand attachment serviceable for swimming.



E. BOMAN. HAND ATTACHMENT SERVIGEABLE FOR SWIMMING. APPLICATION FILED MAY '7, 1910.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

ERIC IB OMAN, F ANNANDALE, SYDNEY, SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

HAND ATTACHMENT SERVIGEABLE FOR SWIMMING.

oiaeae.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

Patented Jan. is, 11912.

Application filed May 7, 1910. Serial No. 559,880.,

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERIo BOMAN, a citizen ofth'e Commonwealth of Australia, residing at No. 22 Breillatt street, Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, hotel employee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand Attachments serviceable for Swimming, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the peculiar construction of a hand device to be used for swimming purposes. It is made preferably of prepared rubber, or v a combination of such with fabric to produce a flexible ma terial which can be suitably molded.

The primary parts, exclusive of the means employed for fastening, can be formed of one piece of rubber material, which is pierced, pressed, molded, and shaped to produce the following features, namely :-A narrow base strip holed to fit at the roots of the fingers. The partial finger and thumb coverings (which are thickened between the finger joints) extending upwardly from the narrow base strip to the bottom level of the finger nails, and so hollowed at the root parts as to extend to the back of the hand,

but only slightly hollowed at the tips. The

backwardly extending parts connecting the base strip and partial finger coverings, and having hardened ribbed radiating lines formed thereon, by means of which alternate bulging and folding formations areproduced in response to the opening andclosing movements of the hand while the person is swimming. The narrow base strip is secured to an adjustable wrist band by adjustable tie pieces, each-being provided with rows of zig-zig piercings to receive hook or such like fastenings. To each finger part is secured a hollowed back piece having holes spaced to allow the finger knuckles to protrude when the hand is shut. The margins or edges of the various parts are beaded or thickened Referring to the drawings, which form part of this specification: Figure 1 is a back view of the pierced, pressed, and molded part of the hand device, formed of one piece of rubber material, and comprising the shroud, the partial finger front coverings, and the backwardly extending connecting parts having ribbed formations between the finger coverings. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but with the knuckleholed back finger pieces added to the front finger coverings. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line aa of F 1g. 1, showing finger holes in the shroud. Fig. i is a vertical, central,

sectional elevation on line b b of Fig. 1, showing enlargeddetail of a partial finger covering. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional elevation on line 0-0 of Fig. 2, showing enlarged detail of shroud with backwardly extending finger and shroud connecting part,

and, in elevation, a complete finger'covering. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line (Zcl of Fig. 2 showing back and front parts of finger coverings. Fig. 7 is a plan of the device, as seen on line e-c of Fig. 2, showing extremities of finger coverings, and backwardly extending connecting parts. Fig. 8 is a back view of the device upon a hand, with the fingers outspread. Fig. 9

is a palm 1 View of the device upon the open hand as in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a representation of a closed hand with the knuckles showing through openings in finger coverr ings, also folded ribbed connecting parts.

The primary portion of the device, wide Fig. 1, is adapted to be quickly and cheaply made in a mold'or press, with the fitting parts suitably dimensioned to correspond in shape and size to the hand to be fitted. It is to be understood that the words primary portion relate to the fitting parts of the hand attachment apart from the means described for securing it to the hand.

The parts to be provided'for in constructing the mold are as follows: The shroud A, beaded on edge-A for fitting upon the hand at the roots of the fingers. It has the .holes B and B (to receive the fingers and ranged as'show'n to nest together when the hand is closed. To give additional strength the top edge beaded piece D is provided, and is continued around the tips of the finger coverings. In this form the invention is adapted to be placed upon the hand, and to be secured through slits in the shroud A,

by the Y shaped back straps E and F (passing through slits in the narrow base strlizp A) to the wrist band G. The free ends 1 and F may be slacked or tightened as required, by placing the fastenings E and F in thetzlg-zag lines of eyelets or. holes E and F The object in arranging them zig-zag is to insure a finer degree of limitation in the lengths ,of the fastenings than could be obtained with a single row of holes. A similar mode of fastening .is serviceable with the adjustment of the lengths of the wristband G. t

' The swimming device thus described forms a very serviceable hand attachment, which is largely self securing by reasonof the peculiar combination and arrangement of the associated parts, inasmuch as the top edge beaded piece D forms a ring or circlet D to fit the fingers and thumb, whose tips and nails are. exposed beyond the rings. Additional finger security is further obtained by the partial envelopment of the root portion of the fingers with thechanneled parts 0 and C The narrow base ,strip A is also self secured between the fingers. The backs of the fingers and the larger part of the hand are exposed to the Water, .and admit of free circulation of the blood. As a further means of retaining the device upon the hand I provide the hollowed back finger 'pieces H and Hi, pierced with the holes H shaped to allow of the knuckles being freely moved when the hand is shut, as in Fig. 10. The pieces are fastened to the primary part, or may be made part of it in the molding. process.

When the device is put into use by a swimpier, with the hands outspread asin Figf 1n making the propelling stroke the extending connecting parts arecaused, by the water pressure, to assume cup formations, which are the result of the peculiar construction previously described. These cup formations (when the swimmers hand is closed at the end of the stroke) do not oifer obstruction either in the shutting of the hand,

or in grasping an object.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-' ters Patent is 1. In a molded rubber hand attachment for swimmers, composed of-a single piece; of material, the combination, with a beaded narrow base strip having finger and thumb openings formed therein, a molded margin plece, and strap slits above the heading, of,

taperin channeled finger and thumb covermgs oined to each other and to the base strip by extended pieces made concave and veined and molded on their surfaces with ribbed lines, and having the top edge beaded between the said channeled pieces and around the tips, pf'the finger and thumb coverings, substantlally as described.

- In a molded rubber hand attachment for swimmers, composed of a single piece of material, and having channeled finger and thumb coverings joined together with molded ribbed extended pieces, the combination, with the said finger and thumb coverings, of, the thickened pad pieces formed on the front thereof and located midway between each of the finger and thumb joints, substantially as described.

narrow base strip, channeled parts formed on said base strip, ribbed and,molded ex-. tended pieces connecting the channeled parts, beading formed on part of the base strip and along the edge of the extended j 3. In a molded rubber band attachment; for swimmers, the; combination, with the pieces and the finger tips, of, knuckle holed. 7

back finger pieces joined to the said phanneled parts and the said shroud piece,- substantially as'described.

4. In a molded hand attachment composed of a single piece of material, the combination, with a beaded narrow base strip, having finger and thumb openings formed therein, amolded margin piece, strap slits formed above the beading, tapering chan-i molded narroyv base strip havingstrap slits,

of, the Y shaped straps, the wrist strap, and,f

zig-zag lines of. eyelets or holes formed in p the straps; substantially'as and for the purposes set forth.

V In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification'jn the-presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERIC BOMAN. Witnesses: V

JOHN J. STONE,

- HARRY A. Summer. 

